Viewing Object

Utilizing a large farmhouse bought by the Township of Langley, Langholm opened in 1942 as home for the age specifically for residents of Langley. The home was located at 22672 Old Yale Road. Plans were proposed in 1943 to expand Langholm to accommodate 30 residents with the renovated home opening in July 1944. The expanded home had 28 rooms for residents upstairs, as well as two rooms on the ground floor kept ready for emergencies. Langholm had a large verandah outside of the entrance, dining room with a capacity of 30, and a sitting room with piano and radio. Langholm was situated on five acres of land, a portion of which was turned into a garden and eventually the produce from the garden was used for resident’s meals. Langholm was operated by the Municipal Council of the Corporation of the Township of Langley through its Utilities and Energies Committee with the Municipal Clerk designated manager. A smaller group, the Langholm Committee, managed and oversaw the facility, with a handful of administrative staff to help in the day-to-day operations. From early on, the Langholm Women’s Auxiliary, provided additional support to the facility, like soliciting donations, running events for residents, and advocating for resident's needs. The Langholm Women’s Auxiliary visited Langholm monthly and threw yearly events for residents and their families to attend, like a summer picnic and Christmas party. Originally Langholm served just Langley residents but starting in 1949 the facility started accepting applications for residents from the rest of the province to ensure the number of residents was as close to capacity as possible. In 1961 Langholm started to accept transferred patients from Provincial Mental Hospitals (PMH) to offset empty beds. With a facility in need of repairs, declining numbers of Langley residents, and increasing operational costs, the Township put the property up for sale. By the end of 1968, Langholm was purchased by Floyd Cochrane, Joe Young and Les Hoyseth and officially closed on December 15.